Psychiatric News (8/3) reports, “Current field sobriety tests administered by trained law enforcement officers may not be enough to identify drivers who are driving under the influence of cannabis,” researchers concluded in the findings of a 184-participant, “double-blind, placebo-controlled trial” published online Aug. 2 in JAMA Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Trained Officers Using Current Field Sobriety Tests May Misclassify Cannabis-Impaired Drivers, Psychiatric News, August 3, 2023

According to NBC News (8/3, Lovelace), a research letter published online June 5 in JAMA Pediatrics revealed that “fewer than one in three mental health facilities in the United States offered services specifically designed for LGBTQ patients – such as coming out support, counseling on sexual orientation and gender-affirming therapy – for children and adolescents in 2020.” What’s more, “on a per capita basis, all 50 states had fewer than 10 facilities with LGBTQ services per 100,000 children.” The study’s lead author “said the number of mental health facilities in the U.S. that are trained to serve LGBTQ youth has barely budged over a six-year period, increasing from 25% of all facilities in 2014 to just 28% in 2020.”

Related Links:

— “LGBTQ teens often struggle to find mental health care tailored to them,”Berkeley Lovelace Jr., NBC News, August 3, 2023

HealthDay (8/3, Solomon) reports, “Women with a history of infertility are more likely to experience more severe menopausal symptoms at midlife,” researchers concluded in an analysis that “included 695 midlife women participants in Project Viva” who “were enrolled during 1999 to 2002 during pregnancy and were followed for 18 years (age 45 years or older or reporting ≥12 months of amenorrhea at the midlife visit).” The study revealed “an association between a history of infertility and increased odds of depression and sleep symptoms in midlife.” The findings were published online in the journal Menopause.

Related Links:

— “Infertility Tied to More Severe Menopause Symptoms in Midlife,”Lori Solomon, HealthDay, August 3, 2023

mHealth Intelligence (8/2, Melchionna) reports, “A…study found that telehealth use increased between 2019 and 2021. Various patient- and [practitioner-level] factors such as age, area of residence, and type of [clinician] practice setting had a significant impact on outcomes.” This “high level of satisfaction with telehealth also indicates the need for further reimbursement.” The findings were published in JCO Oncology Practice.

Related Links:

— “Age, Residence Type, and Practice Setting Affect Telehealth Use,” Mark Melchionna, mHealth Intelligence, August 2, 2023

Medical Economics (8/2, Bendix) reports “the COVID-19 pandemic has abated, but its influence on the mental health of” physicians “and their patients lingers, and in some ways has gotten worse, according to results of a new survey” from AdvancedMD, which “queried 200 of its customers – independent practice owners and physicians – about their own mental health and that of their patients.” In the survey, “84% said patient stress levels and mental health disorders have increased over the past three years, 64% said their work-related stress levels are higher now than in 2020, and 44% said they rely on exercise to manage stress.”

Related Links:

— “Mental health impact of COVID remains for doctors and patients,”Jeffrey Bendix, Medical Economics, August 2, 2023